Message device with freely swingable pointer



Feb. 28, w? T. w. GILLESPIE 33 MESSAGE DEVICE WITH FREELY SWINGABLE POINTER Filed Jan. 27, 1964 INVENTOR THO/1445 m 6/LL 5P/ 3,306,617 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 The present invention relates to improvements in a message device and more particularly to a message device in which messages are indicated by factors beyond the conscious control of the player. I

Devices of this character are well-known and are frequently referred to as talking boards or as ouija boards. In all cases, an operator is in physical communication with a device which is able to provide the components necessary to make up a message. Thus, it is important that the device provide the means whereby a person will have some physical contact with the indicator, but which is constructed in such a way that the person having such physical contact will be able to allow the indicator to find its own position without conscious influence by the operator.

5 There is considerable disagreement as to what determines the final message fragment, i.e. whether the indicating. device seeks a particular spot through extra sensory perception with the operator acting as a medium or whether the indicator finds a position through pure chance factors. Whatever thecase may be, it is important to have the operator serve in a position similar to a medium and that the indicator be constructed so that it may function independently of physical movements that may be imparted by the operator insofar as possible. With this setup, considerable enjoyment may be derived from the messages obtained, particularly if the operator is skilled at interpreting the results indicated by the pointer to obtain an intelligible message.

From the foregoing discussion, it is seen that the message device requires an operator, but that the operator should not exercise undue control over the indicator. Various message devices have been developed which are directed to this end by utilizing considerable apparatus, or commonly, utilized two different operators acting independently so as to avoid a conscious indication.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a message device of the character described which is simple in construction, yet which may be operated by a single person without the person unduly influencing the movement of the pointer or indicator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a message device of the character described in which the operator detects and utilizes message parts from a freely floating indicator so as to not have direct influence over the indicating data but still have some active participation therewith.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein message parts are clearly located along a geometric configuration so that the message fragments may be accurately determined by a simple pointer.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which is com-- posed of a minimum of parts that are inexpensive to produce and completely reliable in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the specification progresses, and the new and useful features of the message device will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this description, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the message device constructed according to the invention as it appears in operation;

FIGURE 2, a sectional view of the mechanical parts of the apparatus as seen substantially in the plane of line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3, an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 as seen from the plane of line 33 thereof and given to provide an improved illustration of certain of the parts.

While only the preferred form of the invention is shown, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a message device 11 comprising a board 12 and a freely floating pointer 13 mounted in a hub 14 which is adapted to be held against guide means 16 on the board.

The board 12 may be composed of any suitable material such as wood and has a flat face or surface 17 carrying indicia 18 thereon in semi-circular fashion. A diameter of the semi-circle of indicia will register close to the edge 19 of the board with a slot serving as the guide means 16 located centrally along a side edge 19 so that when the hub 14 is placed in the guide means as shown in FIGURE 1, the pointer 13 swings around the center of the circle defined by the indicia. In order to provide a clear line of demarcation between indicia, various boundry marks 21 are located within the indicia. As here shown the indicia consists of letters, numbers and yes and no message symbols. If desired other symbols could also be located between the boundary marks.

The hub 14 is preferably cylindrical in shape and has a hole 22 bored axially therein and terminating at some points within the cylinder as at 23 (see FIGURE 2). The pointer 13 is preferably composed of a metal or other hard tough material and bent at right angles at 24 so as to provide a fairly short depending section 26 and an elongated indicating section 27. The depending section 26 is preferably just slightly longer than the hole 23 so that the indicating section 27 will ride in close proximity to the board 12. In this way, it is relatively easy to tell which of the indicia the pointer is associated with.

The freely floating mount between the hub 14 and the pointer 13 is important inproviding a construction where the operator cannot positively control the pointer. As best seen in FIGURE 1, the hub 14 is adapted to serve as a handle which the operator grips and places against guide means 15. Although the operator may exercise some control over the pointer, and particularly in preventing it from coming to rest somewhere, it is very difficult for the operator to control the pointer by causing it to come to rest anywhere and therefore, quite easy for the operator to avoid cheating or intentional selection of message fragments.

In this way, the important criteria for a talking board as explained above are contained in a comparatively simple structure which may be used by a single operator.

In operation, a person who is to obtain the messages or serve as the operator or medium grasps the hub section 14 and places the pointer 13 as shown in FIGURE 1. The pointer 13 is free to swing back and forth as shown by arrow 28 and may do so several times before it finally comes to rest at a position over an indicia on the board. This indicia is then recorded and the procedure repeated again to obtain another message fragment. The operator then takes these message fragments and uses them to spell out message. In doing so, the medium may use suitable abbreviations such as NT for night and GD for good, and so forth.

Thus, it is seen that the complete message is obtained by a collection of message fragments beyond the control of the operator and by reasonable inspiration to the operator in forming a logical message from the fragments so collected. It has been found that with the message device described herein, it is possible for many people to serve as operators or mediums and still obtain messages which provide interest and/ or amusement to the participants. More specifically, it is believed that about three out of five women and about two out of five men are able to perform quite satisfactorily with this device. Accordingly, it is seen that the game is usable by many people, although it will be appreciated that very good operators will be rare. Thus, the game not only provides a source of amusement, but a source of challenge on the part of those participating to obtain a reasonable message from the indicia gathered according to the required procedure.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that 1 have provided an improved message device which is simple in construction, reliable in operation, and capable of providing a specific type of message through a single operator.

I claim:

1. A message device comprising a board having semicircularly arranged indicia thereon for indicating message parts from which a whole message is indicated, a hub, a freely floating pointer mounted in said hub which is adapted to be held by a player in juxtaposed position to the board, and guide means on the edge of the board near the center of the semi-circle containing the indicia for positioning the hub at a central location so as to allow the pointer to swing freely over the indicia and indicate message parts, said guide means and said hub having matching wall configurations whereby the hub may be held in accurately fixed relation to the board.

2. A message device comprising a board having semicircularly arranged indicia thereon for indicating message parts from which a whole message is indicated, a cylindrical hub having a hole axially centered therein and extending part way through the hub, a pointer constructed from a metal rod bent at substantially a right angle, said rod being of a matching size with respect to the hole in the hub so as to fit freely therein, and guide means on the edge of the board near the center of the semi-circle containing the indicia for positioning the hub at acentral location so as to allow the pointer to swing freely over the indicia and indicate message parts, said guide means and said hub having matching wall configurations whereby the hub may be held in accurately fixed relation to the board.

3. The message device defined in claim 2, in which boundaries are provided between the indicia parts to enable the player to determine more accurately which part is indicated by the pointer.

4. The message device defined in claim 3, in which the guide means comprises a notch positioned in an edge of the board so that the hub may be placed in the guide means against the edge of the board to allow the pointer to swing in close proximity to the indicia on the board.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 969,935 9/1910 Blaikley 273-l6l 1,352,046 9/1920 Black 273161 1,422,042 7/1922 Donnelly 273l6l 1,684,998 9/1928 Lappas 273-161 2,775,457 12/1956 Galbos 273-89 RKCHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Examiner. 

1. A MESSAGE DEVICE COMPRISING A BOARD HAVING SEMICIRCULARLY ARRANGED INDICIA THEREON FOR INDICATING MESSAGE PARTS FROM WHICH A WHOLE MESSAGE IS INDICATED, A HUB, A FREELY FLOATING POINTER MOUNTED IN SAID HUB WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE HELD BY A PLAYER IN JUXTAPOSED POSITION TO THE BOARD, AND GUIDE MEANS ON THE EDGE OF THE BOARD NEAR THE CENTER OF THE SEMI-CIRCLE CONTAINING THE INDICIA FOR POSITIONING THE HUB AT A CENTRAL LOCATION SO AS TO ALLOW THE POINTER TO SWING FREELY OVER THE INDICIA AND INDICATE MESSAGE PARTS, SAID GUIDE MEANS AND SAID HUB HAVING MATCHING WALL CONFIGURATIONS WHEREBY THE HUB MAY BE HELD IN ACCURATELY FIXED RELATION TO THE BOARD. 